Voice of Fire: Sensory Museum Experiences and Digital Reproduction
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2013-07-15 Voice of Fire: Sensory Museum Experiences and Digital Reproduction McDougall, Lauren McDougall, L. (2013). Voice of Fire: Sensory Museum Experiences and Digital Reproduction (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28662 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/821 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Voice of Fire: Sensory Museum Experiences and Digital Reproduction by Lauren McDougall A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA JULY, 2013 © Lauren McDougall 2013 ii Abstract The purchase of the painting Voice of Fire by the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) ignited one of Canada’s most heated artistic debates. Focusing on Voice of Fire and the NGC website, this study analyzed how digital reproduction of art on a museum website contributes to a sensory understanding of museum experience. Communicative technologies in the form of websites, social media and high-resolution images have changed spectatorship but continue to be problematic when essential features of the painting are dependent on physical and sensory museum ‘experience’. Interviews were conducted with National Gallery of Canada staff about the redevelopment of the NGC website, their communicative goals as well as their sensory museum experiences using netnography and sensory ethnography. Rather than reproducing the sensory museum experience online, websites and social media can present a ‘story’ of the painting to Canadians and offer valuable opportunities for curating communication strategies for art specific spectators. iii Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Brian Rusted. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance and for helping me to create a project which exceeded my expectations. I would like to thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for generously supporting this project. I would also like to thank the National Gallery of Canada staff who participated in interviews and generously shared their time and thoughts. As well, thank you to the staff at the National Gallery of Canada Library & Archives whose knowledge and expertise helped me to acquire the archival data used in this project. Lastly, I would like to thank my family. Without your continuous love and support none of this would have been possible. iv Dedication To H. A and N. M v Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements............................................................................................................ iii Dedication.......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents.................................................................................................................v List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION..................................................................................1 1.1 Objective....................................................................................................................1 1.2 Thesis Outline............................................................................................................3 CHAPTER TWO: THEORY & LITERATURE REVIEW.................................................8 2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................8 2.2 Objective....................................................................................................................9 2.3 Museum Communication.........................................................................................12 2.4 Visual Studies ..........................................................................................................17 2.5 Reproduction............................................................................................................26 2.6 Summary..................................................................................................................31 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGICAL & RESEARCH CONTEXT ......................33 3.1 Objective..................................................................................................................33 3.2 Literature: Researching Museum Experience..........................................................34 3.3 Data Collection ........................................................................................................38 3.3.1 Recruitment & Sample ....................................................................................39 3.3.2 Ethics ...............................................................................................................41 3.4 Sensory Ethnography...............................................................................................42 3.4.1 Place-making ...................................................................................................43 3.5 Netnography.............................................................................................................44 3.5.1 Research Design ..............................................................................................46 3.5.2 Role of Researcher ..........................................................................................48 3.6 Coding......................................................................................................................49 3.7 Challenges & Limitations ........................................................................................52 3.8 Summary..................................................................................................................55 CHAPTER FOUR: VOICE OF FIRE - HISTORICAL & ARTISTIC CONTEXT..........57 4.1 Objective..................................................................................................................57 4.2 Historical Background: 1966-1990..........................................................................58 4.3 Art History & Voice of Fire.....................................................................................63 4.4 Reproduction & Space.............................................................................................69 4.5 Summary..................................................................................................................76 CHAPTER FIVE: FINDINGS & DISCUSSION - THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA WEBSITE ...............................................................................................78 5.1 Development and History of the NGC Website ......................................................80 5.2 Tour and Discussion of the National Gallery of Canada Website...........................85 5.2.1 ‘Navigation’ Section & Implied Audiences ....................................................87 vi 5.2.2 ‘Calendar’ & Change.......................................................................................91 5.2.3 ‘Online Features’ & ‘Footer’...........................................................................94 5.2.4 Social Networking Sites & Interactivity..........................................................96 5.3 Discussion & Summary ...........................................................................................99 CHAPTER SIX: FINDINGS & DISCUSSION - THE SENSORY MUSEUM .............104 6.1 Objective................................................................................................................104 6.2 Movement ..............................................................................................................106 6.3 Sight & Setting.......................................................................................................109 6.4 Online Movement & Space....................................................................................115 6.5 Sound & Spaces.....................................................................................................116 6.6 Experience .............................................................................................................118 6.7 Museum Communication.......................................................................................120 6.8 The Historical Debate & Shift in Contemporary Museum Communication .........121 6.9 Sensory Dimensions of Technology & Museum Communication ........................123 6.10 Technology & Viewing Practices........................................................................126 6.11 Discussion & Summary .......................................................................................128 CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSIONS ...........................................................................132